CEDC plans for future businesses, growth

Published 1:00 pm, Wednesday, September 3, 2014

As Canyon Economic Development Corporation set its budget for the upcoming fiscal year, it also looks toward future growth.

The budget was approved by the CEDC board Aug. 15 and presented to commissioners for the City of Canyon on Aug. 25. The budget has an increase of about $12,515. While some items have decreased, CEDC has increased other areas to prepare for future growth in the city. Legal services has been increased from $5,000 to $10,000 for the next fiscal year. Evelyn Ecker, CEDC executive director, said that with the addition of Lone Star Producers, Inc. bringing its operations to Canyon, as well as ongoing projects, the need for more help would be needed.

Lone Star Milk Producers, Inc. is projected to provide 60 jobs with a $3.5 million annual payroll and an infusion of water into Canyon.

It is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative based in Texas, with membership across the southern and central United States, going from New Mexico to Kansas and eastward to Florida. The company was founded in 1997 by three Texas dairy farmers and has since grown to become the 12th largest dairy cooperative in the U.S., based on an annual survey published by Hoard’s Dairyman.

The National Cooperative Bank ranked Lone Star as the 64th largest cooperative in the U.S. in its 2013 survey.

Another item in the budget to help with growth is $13,000 for a new CEDC website.

“One of the most important things we have in the budget is the building of a new website for the CEDC. That’s important because with the addition of the Lone Star Milk plant in Canyon, there are several other businesses that will want to move to Canyon or are looking to relocated to Canyon,” Ecker said.

“We’ve had some phone calls from businesses looking to relocate here one, including one from Oklahoma and one in Texas. We felt like our website needed to be top notch to point out Canyon’s amenities, the low crime rate, school system, and cost of living. The website is very important in providing that information and showing what Canyon has to offer.”

It could be about three months before the website goes online.

Ecker said marketing Canyon to businesses and employers not only provides jobs, but helps the local economy in a variety of ways.

“Obviously, a company might move some people here already with the company, but that brings people to live, to shop and spend money. If they need to hire locally, that gives people here opportunities for a job. It’s economic development,” she said.

The CEDC currently has eight funding obligations to date. Those include $170,000 for the city parks project, which finished construction earlier this year, $100,000 for Panhandle-Plains Museum’s petroleum wing, $52,000 to Blue Bison Investments, $10,671 to the Small Business Assistance Program and $150,000 for land purchase and $850,000 for job creation to Lone Star Milk Producers.

CEDC also has $100,000 in funding toward Sayakomarn’s Thai and Lao Cuisine for a new building that will be constructed on the southeast corner of the Square.

That project could start later this month.

The Furman family, which owns property behind United Supermarket in Canyon, will receive a $250,000 grant for its development project.

“The Furman family has owned that property for at least 15 years and wanted to clean up the mobile home lot that was there,” Ecker said.

“There will be 7,200 square feet of retail space and the same amount of office space, as well as a two-story building of luxury apartments.

“There will be a building on the end to anchor the property, which will be about 3,600 square feet and could feature a drive-up window.

“It’s a great thing for Canyon and is a $8.5 million project.”

The CEDC is now in its 10th year, as it was created in 2004.

“I think the CEDC board has accomplished a lot in the past 10 years,” Ecker said.